Anderson s Gerbil

lized sand dunes. Food and Feeding. Anderson’s Gerbil is omnivorous and feeds on green parts of plants (c. 42 %), seeds (c. 35 %), and insects (c. 20 %); there is some variation with season. Breeding. In Egypt, reproduction is strongly seasonal, most breeding taking place at the end of winter (January-March) and in spring (until June). Litters consist of 3 - 7 offspring, with mean ofthree. Young reach sexual maturity at ¢. 5 - 5 months and 20 - 30 g in weight. Activity patterns. Anderson’s Gerbil is nocturnal and terrestrial. It digs burrows, where it rests during the day. It forages at night for seeds. Movements, Home range and Social organization. In Israel, subspecies allenbyi is in competition with the sympatric Greater Egyptian Gerbil. Anderson’s Gerbil is solitary and aggressive. Intraspecific aggressive behaviors (biting, chasing, butting, fighting) were reported to occur between both sexes for access to food sources. Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Anderson’s Gerbil is a common species and can be found in various types of environment. Overgrazing and development ofirrigated cultures, as well as tourism development, may become threats. Recent conservation genetic analysis performed on Negev populations ofIsrael showed low nucleotide diversity for two mitochondrial genes (control region and cytochrome-c oxidase subunitII) in different populations, indicating recent population extension ofthis gerbil and presence of isolated populations, this due probably to its marked habitat specificity.